In the public interest

Posted: Tuesday, May 29, 2001

By A letterCHAS DENSE

When public lands and public resources are given to private developers, the public has a right and responsibility to protect its interests. In addition to encouraging responsible community development, those interests include aesthetics, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat.

I believe that rather than subsidizing Timber Creek's investment with the public's timber in addition to public land, that the value of the timber be used for long-term mitigation of impacts from the course. I personally am glad the Community Development Department is looking out for the public. We only need to look at the fiasco of IHH land behind Fred Meyer to see what can happen when we don't attach adequate safeguards to protect the public's interest.